The management of various cables, cords, and wires found on a typical work surface is an ongoing challenge. Almost all of the increasing number of available devices, including telephones, computers and their many peripheral devices, digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and so forth, use at least one and often multiple cables to transfer data, receive power, and/or perform other functions. Without some sort of management system, the number of cables on a desktop can quickly become a tangled mess that is both unsightly and unwieldy.
The increase in the number of peripheral and other devices has led to the introduction of connection hubs, which are units having multiple connection ports contained in a single housing. Accordingly, there exists a need for a connectivity system that both increases the available connection options on a desktop and also improves cable management.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction. Descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the exemplary embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, device, system, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, device, system, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as directly or indirectly connected in an electrical, mechanical, or other manner.